BACKGROUND: Switzerland is a country in which the tobacco industry (TI) has a great deal of influence (ranked 89 out of 90 on the Tobacco Industry Interference Index). A mechanism of this influence is the TI’s use of sponsorship of cultural events and of donations to charities as a means of inserting itself in the local social fabric, building a network of allies, and projecting the image of a good corporate citizen. This poster, based on TI internal documents, aims to show that TI ‘s “philanthropic” programs are driven exclusively by its political and economic objectives, contradicting its attempts to present itself as a disinterested citizen.
METHODS: We examined TI’s official communication and compared it with its internal declarations. In Switzerland, the main players contributing to these cultural and social programs are Philip Morris International (based in Lausanne) and Japan tobacco International (headquartered in Geneva). We put their actions in perspective by assessing them in the light of scientific data on the use of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by TI.
RESULTS: In Switzerland, TI gives money to a range of actors, including political parties, cultural institutions, humanitarian organizations, LGBTIQ associations, and biodiversity promoters.
Documents show that TI targets specifically the organizations and places where it wants to raise its influence and to gain access to political elites. TI gives money without demanding anything in return from the recipients of its “generosity”: this creates the strongest binding effect.
CONCLUSIONS: Switzerland is lagging behind when it comes to structural measures to combat TI’s influence. The CCLAT recommends banning TI’s sponsorship and other CSR activities (Art. 13) and to keep TI’s interests out of public policy (Art. 5.3). In Switzerland, current and forthcoming regulations give the tobacco industry too much influence and freedom, perpetuating the devastating consequences of the smoking epidemic.